


The Divine Kurt Hummel

by Julesmonster



Category: Glee
Genre: Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-21
Updated: 2012-09-21
Packaged: 2017-11-14 17:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/517941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julesmonster/pseuds/Julesmonster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a bad breakup, the infamous rock star Puck is taking a break from LA and doing a stint on Broadway. Guess who his leading lady is... Slash. Puck/Kurt. Future!Fic</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> A/N: This story is a future fic, and there really aren't any spoilers. The entire story was born from the first scene, which just popped into my head when rewatching Kurt perform Le Jazz Hot. Like most of my fics, it's kinda fluffy. There are 6 chapters and a short epilogue. Hope you like it! Jules

"Noah Puckerman, as I live and breathe."

Puck froze as he heard that familiar voice come from behind him. A part of him wanted to turn around and scoop his visitor up in a tight bear hug, but another part wanted to run away. Unfortunately, his dressing room only had one door and it was being blocked by none other than Kurt Hummel.

Puck turned and gave Kurt wry smile. "Hey Kurt. What are you doing here?"

"Still the same clueless boy as ever," Kurt said as he swished over to Puck's vanity and began looking through the things there. "Didn't even try to find out who else was in this show with you before you signed the contract?" Kurt held up a jar of cheap moisturizer and huffed. "This will never do. I'll bring you something better tomorrow."

"So, um… you're in this show?" Puck asked.

Kurt looked at him with a smirk. "Baby, I'm the _**star**_ of this show."

Puck frowned. He was pretty sure he would have remembered his manager telling him something like that. Then again, when he'd agreed to do a Broadway show, Puck had been in the middle of a very messy breakup and had just wanted to get the fuck out of LA. Well, he was out of LA alright. He was in Manhattan and getting ready for the first day of rehearsals for some fruity musical.

"I thought the show was about a woman pretending to be a man," Puck said with some confusion.

"A woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman," Kurt corrected. "That's why playing the role of Victor/Victoria was too delicious to pass up when the producers called. Besides, I've always wanted to play a Julie Andrews role."

"And who am I in this little show?" Puck wondered.

"You haven't even read the script, have you?" Kurt huffed. "You are the gangster, King Marchand, who falls in love with Victor, despite the fact that he is supposedly a man."

"Right," Puck said. "Whatever. I'll learn the part. No one expects me to actually be a great actor. They just want my name to draw crowds."

"True enough," Kurt sighed. "It is an unfortunate fact of life that fame on Broadway does not necessarily fill the seats. You need tourists to do that."

"And I'll pull the tourists," Puck agreed as he shifted to lean against the wall and watch Kurt.

Kurt sat at the vanity. "Finn told me what happened with Jenna. I'm sorry."

"I'm not," Puck shrugged. "She was a bitch. We only stayed together as long as we did because of the publicity."

"Five minutes!" The stage manager knocked at the door and let the two men know that they were about to begin their first read through of the show.

Kurt sighed. "We should get together and catch up. Away from here."

"Yeah, that would be cool," Puck agreed, surprised to find that he meant it. "How about we get dinner after? That is, if you know some place we can go where we won't be mobbed?"

Kurt smiled. "I'll make reservations."

"Cool," Puck said again. "Um… I don't have to dress up do I?"

"The infamous Puck? I think they'd throw us out if you showed up in a tie." Kurt teased. "Don't worry." Kurt grabbed the script from the vanity and handed it to Puck. "You'll need this."

"Right," Puck said as he followed Kurt out towards the stage where the rest of the cast was already sitting around a table. Puck didn't know anyone, but Kurt seemed to know everyone there. In a way, it felt like the first days after he joined glee. But Kurt eventually took the seat beside Puck and the read through began.

**PKPKPKPKPK**

Puck had to admit, the show was funnier than he had thought it would be. And the music wasn't bad either. They had sung through the songs as well as reading the script and that was at least one area he felt confident. His character didn't actually have as many songs as Kurt's, in fact, he only had one solo and one duet with Kurt, but he had kicked ass on those songs. He may not be a Broadway star, but Puck was a singer by profession and he knew how to work a song.

As he watch Kurt singing with another actor on the final number, he wondered how exactly his life had come back around to this. It was seven years since they had won Nationals and he had gotten out of Lima for good. While he'd kept in contact with Finn, Puck really hadn't ever expected to see Kurt again. Kurt might be famous here in New York, but that fame simply didn't translate to the rest of the world. They didn't run in the same circles and they didn't go to the same parties. And until a couple weeks ago, they had lived on opposite ends of the country.

Kurt hadn't change a whole lot in seven years. Sure he was a little older, but his face still looked baby soft and his eyes were still that same deep blue with just a hint of green. His shoulders were a little broader than they used to be, but Puck had met a lot of women with shoulders just as broad. And he still dressed in the flashiest clothes that Puck had ever seen. Considering he went to parties with Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert, that was saying something.

Some things were different. One of those things that had changed was his voice. Where Kurt had once struggled to keep his tonality on the higher end of his range, he was now able to belt out those same notes with a power that Rachel would have killed for in their glee days. There was also a confidence that had been lacking before. Sure, Kurt had always tried to play that he was self-assured, but there had always been a layer of fear and innocence and loneliness just below the surface. That vulnerability was gone now, or at least better hidden. Puck missed that softer side of his old friend.

Seven years. It seemed like a lifetime. They had just finished Nationals in their senior year, finally winning the coveted prize. Puck had done a kick ass cover of The Doors' "Light My Fire" that had gotten more attention than anyone could have expected. There happened to be a record producer as one of the guest judges and he was so taken by Puck that he'd come to talk to him after the competition.

At first Puck thought it was all some elaborate prank or something, but when the guy showed up in Lima with a contract and talked with his mom and Mr. Schue about everything, he got the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he had found his ticket out of Lima Ohio. He'd barely graduated and despite being a badass football player, Puck hadn't been offered a scholarship to college. In fact, the only school that even accepted him was the Allen County Community College. But here was this rich guy telling him that he could be on TV and play concerts for screaming chicks and rake in loads of dough.

Puck had packed his bags and never once looked back. Sure he kept in touch with Finn, and when Finn and Rachel moved to California after graduating from college, he saw them pretty regularly. But the rest of the gang? Not so much. It wasn't that he didn't like them or didn't care or some other shit. It was just that being famous was fucking hard work. There were always people watching everything you do and everything you said got printed online and in the tabloids. And staying on top of the game took a lot of effort and energy. It wasn't just about the music, he found out. There was a lot more to being a badass rock star than Puck had ever imagined.

"Ready to go?" Kurt asked.

Puck looked around them and realized that everyone was packing up to go. 'Sure, just let me get my jacket from the dressing room."

Five minutes later they were in a hired car and on their way to some private club that Kurt belonged to that catered to New York celebrities. They talked about the show and the other actors on the way over. Kurt knew everything about everyone in the cast and was more than willing to fill Puck in on all the gossip. Puck wasn't sure he needed to know that James, the guy playing Puck's bodyguard, used to date the girl who was playing the Norma. Or that she caught him fucking the male lighting director of the last show he was in. At least it kept the ride interesting.

They were let off outside an old building that looked rather nondescript to Puck, but there was a doorman outside who welcomed Kurt by name. Inside, they were greeted by a guy that Puck assumed was the manager by the way the other employees scurried around him.

"Kurt, it is so good to see you again," the guy said in an oily voice that Puck really didn't like. "It has been much too long. I was surprised to hear you requested a private parlor, but I can see now why." He looked Puck and down and Puck growled at him in response. He felt infinitely better when the man looked startled and fearful.

"If you could just show us to the salon, Henri," Kurt said with a smirk. The man nodded and soon they took the small elevator up to the third floor and were shown to a small private room. Puck looked around even as he removed his jacket and tossed it onto the armchair by the window. The room looked like something out of one of those historical romance movies that Jenna used to like. There was a sofa and two armchairs on one side of the room and a small dining table near the fireplace on the other side of the room. There was already a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket beside the table.

"Nice digs," Puck said once they were alone. "That Henri guy's a dick, though."

"He is," Kurt agreed. "He thought I was bringing you up here for sex."

Puck nodded. "I figured that."

"You don't mind?" Kurt wondered.

"After all that shit about me and Adam Lambert a couple years ago?" Puck chuckled. "Hell, my popularity went up that month and I sold more singles on itunes than any other artist. So no, I don't care what the fuck he thinks."

"Well, no matter what Henri _thinks_ , he won't be telling anyone that you're even here, let alone with me," Kurt said. "If he did, this place would lose its revenue. This club was built on the promise of privacy and discretion."

"A lot of people use this place for sex?" Puck wondered as he walked to the table and poured two glasses of champagne for them.

Kurt took the glass Puck handed him. "Yes. They also come for private business deals and just to get away from the gawkers and press."

"Why do you come here?" Puck wondered.

Kurt flushed. "I had a lover who was not out. We used to meet here. After the relationship ended, I still came, but usually only to the public dining room."

Puck wasn't really sure what to say tot hat, but he was saved from needing to answer when a soft knock came to the door. Kurt let in their waiter and soon they were discussing food and wine and Puck requested beer, much to Kurt's obvious amusement. When they were finally left alone again, it was natural for the conversation to move in a new direction.

"So, how did you end up on Broadway?" Puck asked. "I mean, I know this is what you wanted. You never made a secret of your dream to be the next… whoever. You and Rachel both. But Rachel ended up in LA doing voiceovers and animation voices. But you're here."

Kurt smiled. "Well, you got your offer from the recording label, but I got a different sort of offer at Nationals that year. One of the oldest and wealthiest patrons of Broadway saw the performance. He was… a dear man who was lonely. He never once even asked for sex, but he loved having me around for companionship and I suppose for something to look at. In return, he bankrolled my first show. He died before the show was open for six months."

Kurt was quiet for a few minutes as if lost in memories. Then he shook himself from those thoughts and smiled at Puck. "Anyway, Andy was alone when he died. No kids and his longtime lover had died a few years before. About half of his estate went to charities, but he left me a fortune, enough to keep me in designer labels for the rest of my life without ever having to work again. The show got rave reviews, despite the fact that I was a boy playing a girls' part—or maybe because of it—and I've had steady offers for work since, most of the time for the lead female role, though I did play the Emcee in _Cabaret_ a while back. I usually work for six months and then take a break before going on to the next project."

"Yeah, Finn never mentioned a sugar daddy," Puck said.

Kurt laughed. "He wouldn't. He doesn't know. If he had known, he would have said something stupid in front of my father and that would have been a disaster. No, as far as my family is concerned, Andy was like a mentor to me. They know he left me some money when he died, but not how much. They certainly don't know I used to… well, never mind that."

Puck leered and said, "No… now you have to tell me."

Kurt blushed again. "God, I didn't even think I was capable of blushing anymore. Okay fine. Andy liked to see me dress up in costumes. Usually kinky things, like a sexy nurse or a maid's outfit. It was the most sexual things ever got between us, but he never once laid a hand on me. He'd just watch me parade around in the outfit and jerk off."

"Better than a casting couch, I suppose," Puck said with a chuckle. "Still a little weird."

 

"Yeah," Kurt said with a smile. "But like I said, Andy was a sweetheart. He would charter a private jet and fly me to Paris for the weekend if I mentioned that I was craving an éclair. Everything he did, he went overboard, but in a sweet and romantic way. We lived together for about a year before he died."

"And you've been a wealthy widow ever since," Puck said.

"Sure have," Kurt agreed. "My life is everything I could have ever dreamed it would be."

"Except…?"

Kurt gave him a sad smile. "Except love. When I accepted Andy's offer, I had to break things off with Blaine. He was my first real love and I think we might have made it if I hadn't chosen money and fame over him. Since then, I've had lovers but never love." Kurt took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Just listen to me! You'd think I was miserable or something. Honestly, I love my life."

"Yeah," Puck said. "I'm sure you do."

The waiter delivered their food and they took a few minutes to settle at the table and try everything before Puck started the conversation back up.

"I know what you mean about getting everything you thought you wanted and still wanting more," Puck said.

"Being a _badass rock star_ not everything you dreamed it would be?" Kurt asked. Seven years ago, his tone would have been snide, but now it was actually sympathetic and interested.

Puck paused to finish the bite he was chewing. "Well, it's cool and all. I love the money and the music and performing and all that. But the press and the… expectations start to wear on me sometimes. That and… I guess this breakup with Jenna has got me rethinking a lot of shit. I didn't love her. In fact, I could barely stand her. But I was with her for almost two years. Why?"

"You said it was for the publicity before," Kurt said.

"It was," Puck said. "But my love life should not be a means of making more money and selling more records. That's just bullshit."

"I sold myself for a year and you've sold yourself for seven," Kurt said with sympathy.

Puck snorted. "Not seven years. Just the last two. Before Jenna… well, I was the Puckasaurus."

"A sex shark," Kurt said with a laugh.

"Exactly." Puck was glad they were laughing and smiling. He didn't want to spend all night bemoaning his fate.

"So tell me the truth," Kurt said. "You and Adam Lambert?"

Puck laughed. "Nothing to tell. Not really. We hung out a few times and he needed an escort to some charity event so I took him."

"So you've never…?"

"Slept with him?" Puck asked. "Or slept with any guy?"

Kurt sat back startled that Puck would need to make that distinction to answer the question. "Any guy." Puck just smirked at him. "That's not very nice. That's the same thing you do when all those reporters and interviewers ask you about your sexuality. You just clam up and smirk at them."

"It's better to keep people guessing," Puck said with a laugh.

Kurt had to agree with that to some degree. "You know, in high school you would have decked anyone who even dared to ask you that question."

"Things change," Puck said.


	2. Part Two

**Part Two**

The rest of the meal was filled with gossip about the former glee club and other mutual acquaintances. It surprised Puck how many people in LA tried to do a show on Broadway. He supposed he shouldn't be, considering he was there doing the same thing. Once dinner was over, they made their way back down to the front of the club. Puck had offered to pay for their dinner, but Kurt assured him that it was already being put on his monthly bill.

Once back on the street, they stood staring at each other for a few moments. "Would you like to come to my place for a drink?"

Puck hesitated but nodded. "Sure. I'd like to see how your decorating tastes have changed since high school. Or are you still going for harem chic?"

"Oh god, don't remind me," Kurt groaned. "Finn about died when he saw what I had done."

"Should I get a cab?" Puck asked.

"Oh, no," Kurt said. "I'm only a couple blocks from here. And no one in this neighborhood will bother you, I promise. Where are you staying, by the way?"

"The Marriot Marquis," Puck said. "It seemed easiest since it was right upstairs from the theater and I could avoid some of the post-show crowds. But I've been there for two weeks already and it's…"

"Yeah, you don't want to stay there," Kurt said. "I adore the theater district, but you can't live there. There's just no privacy whatsoever. Everyone is a tourist so just going to the corner store becomes a hassle. That's not to mention the fact that even from the thirtieth floor, the lights and noise are constant. You need to get to one of the quieter neighborhoods. I would suggest renting a place."

"I wouldn't even know where to start looking," Puck shrugged. "Hell, I don't even know where we are right now."

"This is Chelsea, honey," Kurt said. "The fashionable heart of gay Manhattan."

Puck frowned. "I thought the Village was the where all the gay stuff was."

"Twenty years ago, maybe," Kurt shrugged. "Now the Village is mostly college students and a few of the diehard queers. Most of the best gay bars and clubs are in Chelsea and so this is where most of the gay boys flock. But the block where I live is pretty quiet and removed from the liveliest streets."

They walked up to a tall building, or at least it seemed tall compared to the other buildings in that area. It was an older building, maybe from early 1900's and had a lot of cool architectural features that Puck couldn't name but liked. Everything in LA seemed to be less than ten years old. As soon as something got old they tore it down and built something new. The history in this building was way cooler, in Puck's opinion.

Kurt stopped to exchange a few words with the doorman before leading Puck inside, past the two security guards at the desk and towards two elevators. He used a special key to call for a car. Once inside, Puck looked at the panel, curious to see exactly how many floors the building had. There were nine floors, not counting the basement and the penthouse level. Of course, Kurt pressed the button for the penthouse.

The elevator opened up to a private hallway. There were only three doors: the stairwell, the garbage and recycling room, and the door to the Penthouse. Kurt unlocked the door and punched in a security code on the alarm panel inside.

"The alarm is connected to the security desk downstairs as well as the regular alarm company connections," Kurt said. "If someone was to break in, they wouldn't have a lot of time to get out before the guards got up here."

"Is that really necessary?" Puck asked as he took off his jacket and handed it to Kurt, who was standing beside an open closet with his hand out.

Kurt shrugged. "I've never had any trouble but Andy had it set up. This was his place first. He and Charlie, his partner, lived here for thirty years."

"So you inherited this place too?" Puck asked as he took a moment to look around. The entry led to a hall that had three sets of double doors. The floors were all polished white marble with some sort of black stone inlaid in a star pattern in the center of the hall. Above the star, Kurt had placed a round table made of some dark wood that Puck could never name, and which had a vase of fresh flowers in the center.

"Andy left me the whole building. I'll give you the tour," Kurt said. He turned to the set of doors that Puck knew led towards the back of the building and opened them wide. They opened up into a huge open living space. The kitchen had obviously been redone recently as it had gleaming new cupboards and appliances. It was totally open to the dining area and the sunken seating area. The seating area was arranged around a fireplace that Puck suspected actually worked. The most interesting part of the space, however was the wall of windows that ran the length of the back wall, opening all three spaces up to…

"Is that a garden?" Puck asked peering through the window into the dark night.

Kurt flipped a switch and suddenly the rooftop garden was lit up. Puck couldn't help himself, he had to go out and see this miracle. There were trees and planters filled with fall flowers and even what looked like a vegetable garden. The portions of the garden not covered in greenery were tiled with large granite squares. It was like an oasis. There was comfortable furniture scattered around in little seating groups, but the central focus of the space was a gas fire pit. In the distance, Puck could see the lights of the Empire State Building as a reminder that they were still in the city.

"This is amazing," Puck said. "Living in LA I kind of miss the green of Lima. I would think living in New York would be even worse."

"Charlie loved to garden and Andy had this built just for him," Kurt said. "I have no skills with gardening, so I have a company come in to take care of it. Except the vegetables; those are Trina's pet project. I just like being able to enjoy the peace up here."

"Who's Trina?" Puck asked as he followed Kurt back inside.

"My housekeeper," Kurt said. "She's been here since before Charlie died."

Kurt led Puck back to the foyer and they went to the double doors across from the entry. This time they opened up to a library that Kurt had repurposed for his music room. There was a baby grand piano in the center of the room. Built in bookshelves lined the interior walls of the room and there were a couple club chairs in one corner near the windows and a small desk in the other corner.

"One of the best things about this building is the fact that there are no other buildings as tall around it, so I have windows on all four sides," Kurt said as he peeked out of the window.

Shaking himself, Kurt led Puck to the last set of double doors. These doors led to another hallway. There was a single door on either side and one in front of them.

"There are two guest suites," Kurt said. He opened each door and turned on the light so that Puck could look around. The rooms were the same size and both had the same number of windows. They both also had walk in closets and private baths. The only real difference between them was the fact that one was decorated in blues and browns and the other in simple white bedding with soft green walls and accents. Kurt then led him to the final door. "And this is my sanctuary."

The master suite was huge, taking up the entire front part of the building. The master bath had every amenity that one could ask for, including a steam shower and a separate soaking tub. And the walk in closet was big enough for even a fashion addict like Kurt. The bedroom had a king sized bed as well as another sitting area that was again situated around a fireplace.

"This is an amazing apartment," Puck said as he followed Kurt back to the living area.

"Scotch, bourbon, vodka…?" Kurt asked as he went to the bar area near the double doors.

"Scotch neat," Puck said. Kurt poured their drinks and carried them down the two steps to where Puck was now sitting. "Thanks."

"You should stay here," Kurt said, surprising them both with the offer.

"Um… tonight?" Puck asked.

"If you like," Kurt said. "But I meant instead of your hotel. I mean, I have way too much space here for just me. And then you wouldn't have to worry about finding a place to live."

"I…"

"We have a gym in the basement for residents," Kurt continued. "And Trina would love another person to take care of. She's always on me to find… Well, anyway, she wouldn't mind the extra work."

Puck thought about it for half a second before nodding. "Okay. I'd appreciate it. At least until I get a little more familiar with everything. I've been thinking of getting out of LA permanently, and I figure this is a sort of trial run to see if I want to live here instead."

"Is that because of Jenna?" Kurt asked.

Puck took a swig of his scotch and shook his head. "Nah. She was a bitch and all, but I'm not too concerned with the fall out. I mean, I know Jack, my manager, wanted me out of there for a while to keep me out of trouble, but I've mostly outgrown the kind of shit that would get my face plastered all over the evening news. Mostly."

"So why?"

"LA is just…" Puck shrugged. "It's about as real as the boobs on 90% of the women out there. I think the lack of seasons does screwy things to people's brains. Everyone lies. Everyone is out to use you just to claw their way to the top. It really sucks. I'm sure there's some of that here, but there also seems to be a lot of people who are just here to live and enjoy life. Besides, I can record here just as easily as I can in LA. For that matter, I could move back to Lima, but who'd want that?"

Kurt smiled. "Certainly not me. I sometimes wonder what people like Dave Karofsky are doing now."

Puck returned his grin and said, "Rachel still keeps in touch with most of the glee club and apparently Tina ran into him the last time she was home. He was selling cars at the Chevy dealership."

"That's better than I suspected," Kurt said. "Is he still in the closet?"

"No, he brought his boyfriend home from college and the two have been living together since they graduated," Puck said. "Apparently, he's pretty involved in the local gay rights groups. I think you had a good influence on him."

Talk was pretty light after that and when it got late, Kurt let Puck pick one of the guest rooms to crash.

**PKPKPKPKPK**

When Puck woke the next morning, it was to the sounds of music and voices raised to be heard over that music. It took him a minute to get his head clear enough to recognize the music, but when he did he had to grin. That was the third song from his last album.

Puck grabbed the jeans he had discarded the night before and pulled them on, not bothering to button them or pull on a shirt. Once back out in the hall, Puck could smell food cooking and his stomach grumbled in response. It was easy to follow the music to where a very nice looking woman in her early forties was cooking something in the kitchen and bopping to the beat of his song. Kurt was sitting at the table eating and the two were talking over the music.

"I told you, I don't know what he eats these days," Kurt said loudly. "He used to be like Finn and would eat everything you put in front of him and then go looking for more."

"Anything is fine," Puck said from the doorway, startling both of the other occupants of the room.

Kurt reached for the remote to the stereo and turned down the volume just as the fourth song on that album started. "Sorry. Did we wake you?"

"Yeah, but it was past time I should be up anyway," Puck shrugged.

"Back to the food issue," the woman Puck assumed was Trina said. "I'll need more to go on than anything if you are going to be living here for the next few months."

"Um… I really do eat pretty much anything," Puck said warily as he took a seat beside Kurt at the table. "I'm Jewish, so when my mother is around I avoid pork. I'm not vegan or health crazy, but I do have to watch how much junk I eat because, well, it's not easy keeping these abs." They all looked to where Pucks washboard abs were on display and both Kurt and Trina sighed. "Other than that… well, I like fruit a lot. Pretty much any kind of fruit. And beer."

"Any particular brand of beer?" Trina asked as she plated whatever she had been cooking and brought it over to Puck. He looked at the egg white omelet with peppers, onions and some kind of white cheese and shrugged.

"I like to try new things when I'm out, but at home I usually stick to Heinekin," Puck said. He took a bite of the omelet and sighed in pleasure. "Wow. This is really good."

"I'm glad you approve," Trina said with a smirk. She dished up a bowl of freshly cut fruit salad and brought that over to Puck as well. "Kurt is a little over sensitive about his weight, but I do try to keep meals healthy and filling." Trina went back to work cleaning up in the kitchen.

"What's with the music?" Puck finally asked as another song from his album played in the background.

Kurt shrugged. "Trina doesn't keep up with current music, so I was letting her hear some of your stuff. She knows who you are from the television, of course, but she was curious about your music."

"Gotcha," Puck said. "What time do we have to be at the theater?"

"10," Kurt said. "We theater people don't do early mornings, unlike movie people. I arranged to have the car pick us up a little early, so you would have some time to pack your things. Roger can arrange to have them brought over here while we rehearse."

"Who's Roger," Puck asked.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "The production manager. He's the one who… never mind. I'll talk to Roger." Kurt got up and wrapped his silk robe tighter around him before heading towards the master suite. "I'll be ready to leave in 45 minutes. If you aren't ready, I will leave you."

Puck shrugged and went back to his breakfast. When he was finished, he carried his dishes over to the sink and Trina smiled at him. "You didn't have to do that. I can clear the table."

"Just seemed polite," Puck shrugged. "My mother would have my bal– head if she thought I was being impolite as a guest in someone else's house."

Trina patted Puck's cheek. "Well, if you're going to be living here, you won't be a guest. Besides, I get paid very well to clean up after you boys. Kurt's such a tidy boy that I hardly ever have any real work to do."

Puck smiled. "Well, I can assure I am in no way tidy. My ex used to bitch constantly because she would find my clothes wherever I happened to think to take them off."

"I promise not to bitch," Trina said with a smile. "Especially if you can keep Kurt smiling the way he has this morning." Puck looked a little confused so she said, "Kurt is very good at playing the part of the carefree independent spirit who doesn't need anyone, but when he's here, he feels free to let his true feelings show. And he's smiled more this morning than he has in the last three months."

"Oh," Puck said quietly, thinking of his impressions the day before that Kurt wasn't as happy as he liked to pretend. "I'll do my best. Kurt's a great guy."

Trina patted Puck's shoulder. "You should go get cleaned up. Kurt really won't wait if you aren't ready when he is."


	3. Part Three

**Part Three**

Puck and Kurt made it to the hotel about an hour before they had to be at the theater. With Kurt's help, it didn't take long for Puck to pack up everything he had brought with him from LA. It wasn't really all that much: a couple guitars, an amp, a keyboard, a couple suitcases of clothes, and his computer. Anything he didn't have, he figured he could easily just buy in New York. Once that was done and Puck had changed into fresh clothes, they headed down to the theater together through the back passages the staff had shown him the day before.

The rehearsal went well and Puck came out of it that evening feeling like he at least had an idea of what he was supposed to be doing, even if he didn't know his lines yet. He and Kurt took the hired car back to his apartment, and sure enough Puck's things had all made it and Trina had put them into the room Puck had used the night before. All except the guitars and amplifier; those went in the library/music room.

Trina had left dinner for them and Puck discovered that she had already stocked the bar fridge with bottles of his favorite beer, as well as a selection of specialty beers for him to try. He uncapped one of the bottles and poured a glass of red wine for Kurt while the other man warmed up their dinner and soon they were eating and talking about the show.

Once they had eaten, Puck helped clear the dishes and put them into the dishwasher. Then he refreshed their drinks while Kurt switched on the gas fire pit outside. They sat across from each other in the sitting area and enjoyed the unusually warm September evening.

"Do you ever miss Lima?" Kurt wondered.

"Lima? No." Puck said as he picked at the label on his beer. "I miss some of the people, like the glee gang. I miss how much fun we would have performing together even when we were going through some sort of teen angst. I miss how simple things were. Even the bad things were simple then."

"Yeah," Kurt sighed. "I tried to keep in touch with everyone for a while, but… life gets complicated. When I agreed to live with Andy, I knew that I was doing something that would remove me from that life physically, but by the time Andy died, I realized it had removed me emotionally from everyone I loved too. I didn't call anyone from home until after the funeral. I didn't want them to come. They didn't understand how close we were, even if we weren't lovers in a traditional sense. They wouldn't have understood my grief. So I waited until after the funeral and then told them, and I played it all down. If they had come they would have seen me acting as the grieving widow and the questions would have begun."

"You didn't do anything to be ashamed of," Puck said. "You should have trusted your friends and family to understand."

Kurt stared into his glass and sighed. "Maybe. But after going through something like that alone, it's sort of hard to go back and be the same bright and perky Kurt Hummel they all expected. So I just…" He shrugged and gulped down more of his wine.

"I didn't even try," Puck said. "I mean, if Finn and my mom hadn't kept hounding me, I doubt I would have kept in touch with them either. Back then I thought leaving Lima meant letting go of everything. I thought it was a fair trade."

"And now?" Kurt wondered.

"Now, I think I should have remembered that I had friends who cared about me," Puck said. "The first years were the worst, before Finn and Rachel came. I didn't know anyone and I had to learn the hard way that people aren't your friends just because they say they are. There are a lot of liars and cheats in LA. Even being a badass can't protect you from that stuff."

"I remember reading the tabloids then," Kurt said. "They were always filled with the trouble you were in. Booze, drugs, fights…"

"Yeah," Puck sighed. "If you thought I was bad in high school, you should have seen me in those days. It took the threat of losing my record contract to snap me out of it. But I was still so pissed off at the world. Then Finn showed up and things got better. Your brother is an idiot sometimes, but he's the best guy I have ever met."

Kurt grinned. "He's the sweetest boy _anyone_ has ever met."

"Yeah," Puck chuckled. "Anyway, then I got together with Jenna and…"

"You said yesterday that it was more an arrangement for publicity than a relationship," Kurt said.

"It was," Puck said. "Our managers set us up. We were supposed to go out a few times to promote my latest album and her new movie. We ended up keeping it up for longer than originally planned and…" He shrugged again. "We moved in together because it was convenient. I mean, sure we had sex and everything, but we were never in love. Half the time we didn't even like each other. We each had our little affairs on the side. The one rule we had was that we would keep those affairs out of the media."

"And she broke that agreement," Kurt said. Everyone had seen the many news stories about the breakup and the subsequent brawl between Puck and the new boyfriend. "Why'd you deck the guy if you didn't love her?"

This time Puck grinned. "Gotta keep my name out there until I finish my next album." When Kurt scoffed Puck's grin widened. "No seriously. It was as staged as the relationship. It was their way of making it up to me for letting things go public. I may have been the jilted lover, but I am not some simpering mama's boy who's going to sit back and take it."

"Badass to the end," Kurt said and toasted Puck.

"Anyway, the house was hers and I moved out," Puck said. "I packed most of my shit up and had it put in storage and came here."

"I'm glad you did," Kurt said. "I know we weren't the closest friends in high school, but it really is nice to have a friend here."

"You have friends," Puck said. "I mean, everywhere we go you seem to know everyone."

"Knowing people and being friends with them aren't the same thing," Kurt said. "I'd think you would know that."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Puck said. "I've really only got Finn."

"Well, we have each other now," Kurt said in a more cheerful tone. "Now, I really should be heading to bed. A girl needs her beauty sleep."

"You aren't a girl," Puck said with a snort of amusement.

"So glad you noticed," Kurt said lightly and headed to the double doors. "Goodnight, Noah."

"Goodnight," Puck said with a smile. He hadn't realized how much he missed having someone call him by his first name. To the world he was Puck. Only his mother called him Noah. And now Kurt. It felt good.

**PKPKPKPKPK**

The first weeks of their cohabitation went very well. It didn't take them long to establish a routine. They got up each morning and had breakfast together—with Trina cooking during the week and Kurt cooking on the weekends—then went to the theater for rehearsals. They spent between ten and twelve hours at the theater before returning home, having dinner together and then going to bed. Because Puck wasn't in as many scenes as Kurt, he often had time during rehearsals to hang out in his dressing room and write music or go to the hotel's gym to work out. Slowly but surely, however, the show came together and Puck even learned all his lines.

On their days off, which weren't many and would be even fewer once the show opened, Kurt would take Puck to see the parts of the city that no tour bus ever saw. Puck was rather amazed that as long as he stayed away from the really touristy areas, most people left him alone. There were always one or two people who would come up and ask for an autograph or a picture, but for the most part, New Yorkers were too jaded to get caught up in the celebrity hype.

Of course the media soon caught wind of the fact that Puck and Kurt were cohabiting. Two weeks before the show was supposed to start previews, a story ran on one of the tabloid shows, including footage of Kurt and Puck leaving the building together as well as laughing as they walked down the street together. There was nothing at all sexual in their interactions in any of the photos or videos, but the rumors about Puck's sexuality started up again.

A week later Puck's manager and the show's producer had sat down and arranged an interview with one of the entertainment shows. Since the TV studio was on the way to the theater, and since they weren't going to start the dress rehearsal without Puck, Kurt went with him and watched the interview from the sidelines. Or that was the plan.

"So there has been a lot of speculation over the years about your sexuality," the pretty blond interviewer said. "Most recently, those rumors have centered around you living with a Broadway star named Kurt Hummel."

"Yeah," Puck said. He was going to make her ask the question, not dance around it.

"So is it true?" she finally asked. "Are you living with an openly gay man?"

"I am," Puck said. "Kurt and I have been buds since high school. We were in the same glee club together. We even rocked nationals in our senior year."

"That was the competition that launched your career," she said. It was pretty common knowledge by now how Puck had been discovered.

"That's right," Puck said. "Anyway, Kurt's stepbrother is my best friend and we've known each other for ages. So when we found out we're in the same show together, Kurt offered to let me crash."

"So you and Kurt are just friends?" She pressed. "Because from the amount of time you two have been spending together away from the theater, it would imply more than a simple friendship. You've even brought him with you today."

One of the cameras focused on Kurt, who looked startled before smiling and waving.

Puck laughed. "Yeah. Kurt's been a huge help to me getting this Broadway sh– stuff down. He's also been showing me around the city. I've lived in LA since I left home. New York is a whole new world for me."

"So you are saying you are just friends?" she asked again.

Puck gave his best smirk and said, "I'm saying we're _very_ _good_ friends."

The interviewer didn't seem to know what to say to that so after a brief pause, she went on to talk about the show and Puck's experiences in his first Broadway musical. Eventually, however, talk of the show brought the topic back around to Kurt and Puck's sexuality.

"There is a scene where your character and Kurt's character are on stage kissing for quite some time," the interviewer said. "If you and Kurt are merely friends, then that must be a little awkward."

"Not really," Puck said. "It's just kissing."

"But–"

Puck huffed in annoyance. "Listen, we both know you want to know if I'm gay, straight or bi. We both also know that I'm not going to tell you, so perhaps we could move on?"

The producer of the TV show came over and talked with the interviewer for a few minutes. They would obviously edit out Puck's outburst. Instead of asking more questions, however, they recorded the closing and it was over.

Kurt walked over t where Puck was impatiently waiting for the sound guy to remove his microphone. "I don't know how you put up with that," Kurt said. He waited for Puck to disentangle himself before taking his arm and walking with him towards the studio's exit. "Why don't you just tell them? I mean, it's obviously pretty annoying if every interview is like that. You could go on the record and have it done with."

"Because it's better to keep them guessing," Puck shrugged. They both ignored the way the interviewer and the crew watched them. So what if Kurt was a clingy guy? It didn't prove anything. Especially since they really were just friends.

"You made it sound like you and I could be more than friends," Kurt accused.

"You have a problem with that?" Puck asked with a little surprise. "I can go back and correct that. I'm sure they'll love to get me back under the lights."

Kurt shrugged. "I don't really mind. It's not as if I have a boyfriend at the moment, but it will put a damper on finding one."

"Given the work schedule we have, how exactly do you find boyfriends?" Puck asked.

Kurt shrugged. "Once the show is running, we'll have more time to sleep in, so we can actually go out to clubs and parties after the show." They were both quiet then until they reached the car and were on their way to the theater. "Oh shit."

"What's the matter?" Puck asked. He figured it had to be pretty bad if Kurt was swearing.

"I have a charity gala this weekend," Kurt sighed. "I was going to ask you to go as my date, but now…"

"I'll take you," Puck shrugged. "A little controversy keeps my name out there which is a good thing."

"So you've said." Kurt sat back and sighed. "Okay. Well it's black tie, so we'll need to get you into a tux."

"I'll have Jack get a tailor in here today," Puck said and pulled out his cell. A few minutes later, Jack had agreed to go look for something appropriate from one of the designer stores and meet them at the theater with a tailor.

As they pulled up outside the theater, Kurt took Puck's hand and smiled at him. "Thank you."

Puck chuckled and smirked at Kurt before opening the door and climbing out. Rather than just going inside, however, he turned and offered Kurt his hand and helped the smaller man from the car like a gentleman.


	4. Part Four

**Part Four**

The charity ball turned out to be in support of AIDS research and most of New York's elite were in attendance, which meant that the press was out in full force. Puck emerged from the limo first and the photographers went crazy. Obviously they hadn't been expecting him. He wasn't on the guest list, after all. Puck knew he looked badass in the tux. It was a Marc Jacobs original. It had a red velvet jacket with black silk lapels decorated with silver studs along the edges. It was classy and still screamed badass rock star.

Puck let the photographers get some photos and then turned to offer Kurt his hand. Kurt emerged from the limo and caused almost as big of a stir. Whether it was the tuxedo jacket covered in black sequins, the fact that Kurt was famous in the gay community as well as the New York entertainment world, or because he was with Puck—again—the media was in a frenzy to get pictures of the two of them together.

Puck held out his arm for Kurt and Kurt wrapped one of his delicate hands around Puck's arm. Puck stopped them in front of the same woman who had interviewed him a few days before. She was doing red carpet interviews.

She smiled at them and said, "After our conversation the other day, I guess no one should be surprised to see the two of you here together."

"AIDs is a big problem, and not just for the gay community," Puck said. "Seemed the right thing to do to come out and show my support."

"Anything to add, Kurt?"

Kurt gave her a winning smile. "I think Puck has said it all."

"Well, then, perhaps you can tell us how Puck is doing in his first Broadway show?" she asked.

"Puck is an amazing showman," Kurt said. "That holds true no matter what stage he's on."

Puck nodded to her and then led them past the rest of the media storm and into the hotel where the gala was being held.

"Well that was a first," Kurt chuckled.

"You can't tell me you haven't had your picture taken on the red carpet," Puck said. "I know you're a pretty big name around here."

"Yes, but the photographers who take my picture are usually either local or for the trade mags," Kurt shrugged. "Never have I stepped out into a storm of flashes like that one."

"Guess that's the price of hanging with a badass," Puck smirked.

They made their way around the room as Kurt began introducing Puck to various acquaintances. Surprisingly, Puck already knew some of the attendees and was able to introduce Kurt to them. Everything was going great until they reached their table and Kurt groaned at the sight of the two men already at the table.

"Well, well, well, Kurt," one of the two men, a rather plain looking man with brown hair and brown eyes, said in a snide voice. "You certainly do attract the closet cases. I wonder if it's the fear of coming out or embarrassment to be seen with you?"

"Justin," Kurt sneered. "At least my dates don't have to be paid to accompany me." He turned to the other man at the table. "How much did he offer? $1,000? You should hold out for more. He can afford it."

Justin blushed and Puck laughed. It was pretty obvious that Kurt had hit that nail on the head. The young escort smiled at Puck and Kurt and introduced himself. "I'm Greg."

"Puck," Puck said. "And the mouthy one's Kurt."

Kurt swatted Puck's shoulder and protested. "I am not mouthy."

They took their seats and soon other people were filling in the other seats at the table. Puck and Kurt seemed to talk more with Greg than any of the other guests, a fact that made Justin get more and more angry.

Over dessert, he leaned over to Greg and hissed, "If you like these two so much, you can ask them to pay your rent next month!" With that, he got up and stormed out of the ballroom.

"Oh my," Kurt said remorsefully. "I am sorry about that."

"It's fine," Greg said. "He's a prick, which is why I always make him pay up front. And he'll be back. He always is."

"You're that good?" Puck asked, impressed.

"Yeah," Greg practically purred. "Why? You interested?"

Puck chuckled. "Thanks, but I _never_ have to pay for it. One of the perks of being a badass rock star."

Greg sighed. "Well, it was worth the shot." He got up from the table. "I suppose I should go make nice. He'll be waiting out in the lobby for me to chase after him."

"I do hope you are paid well," Kurt repeated.

"Always," Greg smiled. "See you around."

After dinner there was dancing and Kurt was surprised when Puck dragged him onto the floor. "Come on, they already think we're fucking."

Kurt rolled his eyes but allowed Puck to lead him to the dance floor. They actually fit together quite well, something they had discovered while rehearsing for the show. Kurt was just a few inches shorter than Puck and it made it very easy for them align their bodies and move in sync. Puck was distantly aware that there were more photos being taken of them together, but he didn't really care. If anything, he figured Kurt would care more than he did. After all, Burt Hummel was still just as protective of his little boy, according to both Finn and Kurt, and Puck was still Puck.

Puck knew that he was playing a dangerous game. He knew that there was a fine line between letting everyone else believe that there was something between them and letting Kurt believe it. But right then as the music slowed to a sultry love song, Puck couldn't bring himself to care. He just pulled Kurt a little closer and the smaller man melted into the embrace and they swayed together.

When that song ended, they pulled apart and there was an awkward moment of silence until Kurt said, "Well, that should get your name in the papers for a while."

Puck grinned and pulled Kurt towards the exit. He was ready to get the hell out of there. Kurt and Puck both wrote hefty checks to the charity before heading out to their limousine.

Things were quiet between them in the limo for the first few minutes of the ride, but eventually Kurt had to ask, "Why haven't you come out?"

Puck gave him a wry smile. He'd known that after that dance there would be no way that Kurt wouldn't know the truth. There was no way that he could have disguised the erection that had been pressed against Kurt. "Because it never seemed worth the hassle for the occasional one night stand. All of the relationships that have lasted beyond that have been with women. I always figured I'd come out if I actually fell for a guy. And in the meantime, it's fun fucking with their minds."

Kurt chuckled. "That sounds like the Noah Puckerman I know."

"Tell me about that ass Justin," Puck said.

Kurt snorted with disgust. "That freak has been chasing my ass since Andy died. He actually had the nerve to hit on me at the funeral. Talk about tacky." Kurt shivered with disgust. "Anyway, after a few years of my increasingly impolite rejections, he finally got the picture. Since then, however, he's always got something nasty to say whenever we run into each other."

"He was plain but okay looking and he obviously has money, so it really surprised me that he would have to hire an escort," Puck said.

"He's a snob," Kurt said. "He'll only seriously date wealthy men of a certain age and appearance. Unfortunately for him, all the men who meet his stringent requirements know he's an ass. And those who don't know it figure it out soon enough."

"I kind of feel bad for that Greg kid," Puck said. "I mean, what must his life have been like to think that this is better?"

Kurt didn't have an answer for that, so he didn't say anything. Soon they were home and heading their separate ways into separate beds.

**PKPKPKPKPK**

There was a strange tension between Puck and Kurt after that night. It wasn't anything either of them could put a finger on and say "Yes, that's the problem." In fact, everything between them was exactly as it had been before. They kept the same routine, they still laughed together at the same jokes, they rode to the theater together and had breakfast and dinner together. It was just a cloud of tension that neither could really identify.

The two weeks of previews came and went and the big opening night was looming. Burt and Carole were both coming. Finn and Rachel would be flying in. Even Puck's mother and sister would be there.

Finn and Rachel were scheduled to be the first to arrive. They were supposed to fly in the Monday before the opening and spend the whole week with Puck and Kurt. Well, when they weren't working, but since the previews had gone so well, they actually had a very light schedule that week. The others wouldn't arrive until Friday, and they would only be staying for the weekend. Kurt and Puck had arranged for them to have suites at the Marriott Marquis so that they could be right in the heart of things. Since Finn and Rachel would be there more than a week, they would stay with them at the apartment.

Puck and Kurt both went to JFK to meet Finn and Rachel. The hired car let them off near the luggage claim area and they waited there. Puck had on dark glasses and a baseball cap as a disguise, but he was still recognized almost immediately. Kurt was so busy laughing at Puck's consternation that he almost missed Finn when he walked towards the luggage carousel.

"Finn!"

Finn stopped and turned back around. As soon as his eyes met Kurt's he smiled and rushed to sweep him into a bear hug. "Dude! It's so good to see you! Where's Puck?"

"Put me down and we can go rescue him from the adoring masses," Kurt said. Finn chuckled and let Kurt go. "Where's Rachel?"

"Um… she's not coming," Finn said. "Something came up."

Kurt wanted to ask more, but they had reached Puck and Finn's attention was gone. The two old friends embraced and they began talking in guy talk, totally ignoring both Kurt and the adoring fans. Kurt rolled his eyes at them and dragged them to the luggage carousel to retrieve Finn's luggage. Surprisingly, Finn had a lot more luggage than necessary. It wasn't surprising that he would bring his guitar with him. But there were three suitcases as well as several boxes.

Kurt and Puck exchanged looks, but neither commented. They just hired a couple guys to help them get the stuff to the car. Once they were on the road, Finn didn't give them enough time to ask any questions. Instead, he kept them entertained with stories about the guy he had sat next to on the plane, stories about the people Puck knew in LA and stories about his work. No one mentioned Rachel.

Back at the apartment, they were too busy getting the stuff upstairs to be bothered with asking questions. But once everything was settled and Kurt had heated up the dinner Trina had left for them, they settled around the table and the subject of Rachel seemed inevitable.

"Dude, what happened?" Puck finally asked.

Finn had been picking at his food and finally set his fork aside. "She cheated on me."

"Oh Finn," Kurt said with deep sympathy. "I am so sorry."

"How'd that happen?" Puck asked with wonder. "I mean, I thought everything was going great with you guys?"

"I did too," Finn said with a shrug. "Until I came home from a recording session to find her in bed with Jesse St. James."

"Oh my god!" Kurt exclaimed. "What in the world is she doing going back to that creep?"

It was a rhetorical question and they all ignored it. Instead Puck asked, "What happened when you found them."

"I freaked out," Finn said. "I sort of threw him out of the apartment naked and then tossed his clothes down the garbage chute." Puck and Kurt both laughed at that, glad that Jesse was humiliated. "Rachel was screaming at me and took some of my clothes out to him. When she came back she was screaming at me some more. I didn't catch half of what she was talking about, but somehow she seems to think it's all my fault."

"That bitch," Kurt muttered.

"She said I don't have enough ambition," Finn said. "She said that I'm too content with the mediocre life we have and she won't live that way any longer. _Jesse_ has ambition." Finn sneered with anger. " _Jesse_ doesn't have a _job_ , but he has ambition. I asked her how his ambition was going to pay the bills and she screamed at me some more. So I packed up my shit, took half the money from our savings and here I am. My drums and other stuff are being shipped."

"Dude, that really sucks," Puck said.

"You'll stay here until you figure out what you want to do," Kurt said decisively.

"Thanks," Finn said. He pushed his plate away and stood up. "I'm not really hungry. I think I'm going to head to bed." He got all the way to the double doors before he stopped and turned around. "Puck, is that offer still good?"

"Always, dude," Puck said seriously.

"Cool," Finn said nodding his head. "I think I'm going to take you up on it." With that, he turned and left.

Kurt turned to Puck, "What offer?"

Puck smiled sadly. "I wasn't the only one that the record producer wanted to sign after Nationals. He approached Finn too. But Finn didn't want to leave Rachel. They already had plans to go to college together and get married some day. Since then, I've kept his name out there with my label. I figured some day he'd get his head out of his ass and want to sign. Every year, I've reminded him that I can get him in, and every year he's told me that Rachel would never be happy if he was more successful than her."

"My brother is an idiot," Kurt muttered. "And Rachel is a bitch. He's spent the last few years working as a studio musician and writing songs because he didn't want to outshine Rachel?"

"Yeah," Puck sighed. "So, I guess our plans have changed for the week. I'm going to need to find some studio space and get him working on a demo to take to my label. If they don't buy him right away, I'll get Jack on it. He's got talent and personality and looks. He'll be a hot commodity, even if he still can't dance for shit."

Kurt gave Puck a small smile and kissed his cheek. "You are a good friend, Noah Puckerman."

 


	5. Part Five

**Part Five**

It was surprisingly easy for Puck to get studio time and by Wednesday the three men were working together to put together a few tracks for Finn's demo. Finn wrote his own music and played bass guitar and drums, but he needed Kurt to play keyboards and Puck added in the lead guitar. The other two men also offered their voices as back up singers. Unlike Puck's hard pop/rock sound, heavy with synthesizers, Finn favored pure rock, recalling bands like the Doors, The Who and the Rolling Stones. He may have liked that sound, but Finn's songs were obviously modern in both their lyric and the complexity of the harmonies. Kurt smiled as he thought about that. Apparently a degree in music had taught Finn something.

They worked almost constantly on the demo from Wednesday to Friday evening when their parents were scheduled to arrive with only short breaks to attend short meetings at the theater and to sleep. But by the time they left to meet Carole, Burt, Norah and Sarah at the airport, they had a decent demo recorded with five original Finn Hudson songs

Kurt had spared Finn the task of having to tell his mom and Burt about the breakup and had called them before they arrived to let them know what was going on. The two had been upset for Finn, but agreed that they wouldn't bring it up unless Finn did. With that in mind, dinner Friday and touring the city with Finn on Saturday while Kurt and Puck prepared for the opening went well.

The theater was inundated with famous people and media gathering on the red carpet, almost like a movie premiere. This was not the usual Broadway opening. In fact, half of the people in attendance were from LA. They all wanted to be present to see Puck's Broadway debut. Most people were rather skeptical that the musician could pull off the acting necessary.

It was the thought of all those negative vibes that had Puck staring nervously at his hands back stage before the performance.

"Did you know that this is the same theater that this show originally opened in?" Kurt said, taking a seat next to Puck on the props table. "Everyone kept saying that Julie Andrews was too old to reprise the role and that the musical would suffer in the translation from the movies to the stage. You know what happened?"

"What?" Puck asked, though he didn't really care.

"She channeled all that negativity and used it to fuel her performance," Kurt said. "The critics had to eat their dismal predictions when they saw just how good the show was."

"Good for her," Puck said moodily.

"Noah, you know I'm not one to sugar coat things," Kurt said. "So you'll know I'm not lying when I tell you that you are good. Really good. A lot better than I ever expected. You are going to be great tonight. You'll go out there and make them all eat their words."

Puck chuckled. "Right. Thanks."

"Now if you will excuse me, I need to make sure I look divine," Kurt said with a lilt in his voice that Puck associated with Kurt's diva moments.

Puck watched Kurt wander off towards his dressing room and wondered how he could seem so cool and calm when they were only minutes away from curtain. Sure they had done previews, but no one expected previews to be perfect and critics usually didn't review the previews. But Kurt behaved like it was just another evening. Then again, to him, it was. Puck knew that this was Kurt's 9th show in seven years. That was a pretty fantastic track record, no matter how he had gotten started.

Puck was dressed in a tuxedo for his grand entrance, but that wouldn't happen for several scenes. For the first fifteen minutes of the show he got to sit back and watch Kurt perform with the rest of the cast as Victoria auditioned to sing at a nightclub and then was taken home by a very gay Toddy where the two came up with the idea to make her into Victor, the world's greatest female impersonator. Puck always got a chuckle out of the song "If I Were a Man." Kurt said it was irony, but Puck just thought it was funny.

When King Marchand, Puck's character, finally made his entrance following "Le Jazz Hot", a number Puck remembered Kurt doing back in high school, there was a moment when they all had to pause to let the applause die down. Once on stage, Puck got so caught up in the fast paced dialogue and action of the show that he almost forgot about the audience. By the time Kurt sang "Crazy World" and the first act ended, Puck was in a groove and ready to face his solo at the beginning of the second act.

He greeted Kurt on his way off stage and gave him a hug. "You're doing so great!"

"You too," Kurt said with a smile. "You're up right after the intermission. Are you ready?"

The song "King's Dilemma" opened the second act and it was just Puck on stage for the whole thing. It was a fast paced number with a lot of words, almost a spoken word song, but it was fun and funny as the gangster tried to figure out his feelings for the theoretical man Victor.

"Can't wait," Puck said with a smirk. It was true. He was having fun now that they were actually doing the show, much the same way he always enjoyed performing at concerts. The energy of a live audience was like a drug.

"Well, come on then," Kurt said. "You need to change and I need to drink copious amounts of water and then pee."

Puck laughed and they walked towards the dressing rooms together.

**PKPKPKPKPK**

In the end, Puck received a standing ovation, as did Kurt. Afterward, there was the obligatory meet and greet in the dressing room for the VIPs, then the opening night party to attend. Normally those functions would be mainly cast, crew and friends and family. This time the guest list included a number of prominent names in the entertainment business as well as media. Kurt, of course, had to look perfect before appearing at the party.

"Dude, you ready yet?" Puck asked about an hour after the curtain had dropped. He hadn't bothered to knock on the dressing room door since it was standing open still after all the visitors had gone.

"Almost," Kurt sighed. He had changed into a rather flamboyant outfit consisting of black leggings, his black sequined tuxedo jacket, and a black fedora tilted jauntily on his head. He was just finishing his eye liner when Puck entered. "Why haven't you left?"

"I was waiting for you," Puck said. "I thought we could go together."

Kurt looked at Puck through his mirror and saw the uncertainty in his eyes, but couldn't really interpret why it was there. "Okay. Just let me get my coat."

Puck, unlike Kurt, wasn't dressed up at all for this party. He figured no one really expected him to. It was one of the perks of being a badass rock star. No one wore a tux to the Grammys, but everyone wore tuxes to the Emmys or the Tonys. So Puck had dressed for comfort. He was wearing black jeans and a black t-shirt. The black leather sports jacket was his only concession to propriety. He didn't bother with a coat, despite the cold November night. He figured they would just go from the car to the hotel to the car to the apartment, never spending more than a couple minutes outside.

Kurt pulled on a long wool coat and wrapped a cashmere scarf around his neck. He hesitated before grabbing a second scarf, this one white silk. He walked over to Puck and wrapped that one around his neck. "It's too cold out not to have something to keep you warm."

Puck nodded and when Kurt preceded him out of the room, he took a moment to inhale the scent that lingered on the fabric. It was spicy and sweet with just a hint of something floral. And it was all Kurt. With a smile on his face, Puck followed Kurt out to the waiting car.

There were perhaps two hundred fans still waiting to catch a glimpse of Puck when they emerged from the stage door. A hundred flashes from pocket and cell phone cameras went off as soon as Puck exited. He stopped to smile and say hi to a few of the fans. As usual, there was a pretty good mix of girls and gay boys in their teens and twenties. He didn't linger or sign any autographs, but he was at least polite to them. He knew that some stars were complete assholes to their fans.

"You realize that about a third of the people waiting out there were gay boys," Kurt said once they were both settled into the car.

"Yeah," Puck shrugged. "That's always how it is."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Noah, those young men look up to you. What sort of message are you sending them by hiding in the closet?"

"I'm not hiding," Puck denied. "I just… I don't think it's anyone's business who I sleep with, male or female. I don't like having my private business out on display. I've had a few short lived relationships that have never seen the light of day with both women and men. It's not because I'm ashamed. It's because I give them everything else and I just want one thing that can be mine."

"That may be true," Kurt sighed. "In fact, I know you wouldn't lie about something like that. But that doesn't change the fact that you are an example to a lot of young people. Those young people, gay or straight, look up to you as an example of what is okay."

Puck huffed a dry laugh. "God, I never signed up for all this shit. All I wanted was a nice life and to get out of Lima. Sure I thought that fame would be cool, but that wasn't the real draw. I wanted not to have to worry about money. I wanted my mom to not to worry about money. I wanted my little sister to be able to go to whatever college she wants. And I didn't want to be just another Lima Loser."

"Well, you got all those things," Kurt said. "But you and I both know that there is a price for everything. And the price for that fortunate turn in your life is that people look to you as a role model. For good or bad, you can't escape that fact just because you don't like it."

They were both quiet the rest of the way to the hotel where the after party was being held.

**PKPKPKPKPK**

"I was kind of surprised to find that you and Kurt weren't sharing a room," Finn told Puck a few days after their parents had all headed back to Ohio. "Burt asked me, by the way."

Puck snorted. "That why he kept glaring at me all weekend? I just figured it had something to do with nailing his lawn furniture to his roof back in school."

Finn laughed. "That was fun." He sobered. "But wrong. Totally wrong."

Puck laughed. They were down in the gym in Kurt's apartment building working out. It was almost always empty during the day, since most people who lived in that building worked. That day was no exception, so they were alone as they worked and talked. They were both quiet for a few minutes as they continued to work out.

"So?"

"So what?" Puck asked. Finn gave him a look. "Oh, Kurt. Well, we're friends."

"Friends who are living together and spend almost all their time together; friends who escort each other to galas and parties and dance together all night," Finn said. "Add in a few not-tonight-dear-I-have-a-headaches and some nagging and you're married."

Puck was quiet for a couple minutes while he moved from the weight bench to the treadmill. Once he had set a course for three miles of varying slopes, he turned back to Finn. "I get the feeling you want me to mack on your stepbrother."

Finn shrugged as he took a long drink from his water bottle and then climbed on the treadmill beside his friend. "He's a good guy and you're a good guy and you both have had some pretty bad luck with relationships."

Puck chuckled. "God you suck as a matchmaker."

Finn laughed and glanced over at Puck. "Remember when I found out you were bi?"

"How could I forget?" Puck asked with amusement. "What was that event?"

"The wrap party for some animated film Rachel did," Finn said. "God, it was such a bore. All I wanted was to get out of there. And when I finally get Rachel to agree and go to get our coats from the bedroom, what do I find?"

"He was hot and he could suck a golf ball through a garden hose," Puck shrugged. "Plus he was as closeted as me, so he wasn't going to out me. I figured it was a good match."

Fin looked over at Puck. "You know that Kurt won't be happy keeping things under wraps if you do hook up."

Puck snorted. "I've already gotten multiple lectures about how I'm a role model and should be encouraging young gay boys to come out."

"He's kinda right," Finn said.

Puck sighed. "I know and it really sucks."

Finn laughed. "So what are you going to do about it?"

Puck got a devious face and smirked at his friend. "You'll see."

"Puck…" Finn sounded worried.

"Hey dude," Puck said with as much innocence as he could muster. "Trust me."


	6. Part Six

**Part Six**

"Noah Puckerman!"

"Uh oh," Finn said. "Whadya do this time?"

Puck laughed. "I just—"

He didn't get a chance to answer before Kurt stormed into Finn's room where the two friends had been packing Finn's stuff to be moved. It was almost a month after the opening and Finn had found his own place not far from them. He was more than ready to start his new life. Puck's contacts had come through and Finn was working on his first album. Rachel had heard about his success and tried to get Finn to come back, but he was through with her for good this time. All in all, his life was looking better. Now if he could just get Puck and Kurt to stop dancing around each other and get together, everything would be perfect.

"What were you thinking?" Kurt stormed into the room waving some magazine around. Finn could tell that Puck was on the cover, but he couldn't read the print. "Are you insane?"

"I thought that you wanted me to come out," Puck said with a shrug.

Kurt stopped and blinked twice before regaining his momentum. "I did! I do! But like this?"

Finn got fed up and grabbed the magazine from Kurt. Out. Puck was on the cover of Out magazine. Huh. He flipped to the contents page while the other two continued to bicker, then found the page with the "exclusive interview." He read the article out loud and soon the other two stopped fighting to listen.

_Jill: I was rather surprised when your manager contacted me. You have always been very reticent when it comes to discussions of you relationships or your sexuality._

_Puck: I still am, but I had a very good friend tell me recently that I'm a role model to people if I like it or not, so…_

_Jill: For the record, what is your sexual preference?_

_Puck: (with a chuckle) I don't have one. Though most people would probably label me bi, I tend to think that gender just doesn't matter all that much. There are some great things about women that a man will never have. There are some great things about men that a woman will never have. I've never been one to believe that the exterior is nearly as important as what's inside. In the end, it all comes down to who they are, not what they are._

_Jill: So this thing with your costar…?_

_Puck: (a little uncomfortable) Kurt really is just a friend. We haven't… yeah. Anyway… next question?_

_Jill: (laughing) Okay, how about the rumors with you and Adam Lambert a few years ago?_

_Puck: Sorry to disappoint all those fans, but we really were just friends too._

_Jill: So… Anyone we can confirm?_

_Puck: This is kind of why I haven't come out before. The guys I've been with, F***, even the girls I've been with, it isn't right to blab that stuff to the world. It's one thing if we're in a long-term relationship like Jenna and I were. Of course that's gonna get out there. But unless there's a commitment, it's not right to spread things._

_Jill: That's not a very realistic view._

_Puck: Yeah, well, my mother told me it was rude to kiss and tell. Even in high school I wasn't one to tell about my conquests. Well… not names at least. (Puck has a sheepish grin)_

_Jill: So I guess that there is no one serious in your life right now?_

_Puck: (hesitates) Not yet._

_Jill: But there could be in the near future?_

_Puck: Maybe. (Puck wears that same smirk that he's always given when he doesn't want to answer a question.)_

Finn looked up from the article and grinned. "Dude! You totally did it!"

"Yeah well, that's the early copy they sent over. The magazine won't be released until tomorrow," Puck said. "I figure this place and the theater will be swarming with press as soon as the magazine hits newsstands."

"This was not the way I intended for you to come out," Kurt pouted.

"How exactly did you picture it in your mind?" Puck asked him with a smirk.

Kurt froze and a blush rose in his cheeks. "Um… well…"

"Did it have anything to do with me kissing someone in front of the world?" Puck said in a low voice. "Maybe after the show, before I climbed into the car? Or maybe at some gala? Or even better, on the stage during curtain call?"

Kurt was still unable to reply. Neither man noticed when Finn laid the magazine on the bed and left the room. They were just staring at each other.

"Maybe," Kurt said quietly. He dropped his eyes to the floor, unable to meet Puck's gaze.

"I thought about that," Puck said. "But I wasn't really sure if my kisses would be welcome."

Kurt glanced up then and met Puck's gaze. What he saw there must have been reassuring because a smile slowly formed on his lips. "Idiot."

With that single word, Kurt reached up and pulled Puck's mouth down to meet his own.

**PKPKPKPKPK**

When Finn moved to his new apartment the next day, Puck moved into the master suite.

**PKPKPKPKPK**

As predicted, the sidewalk outside their apartment was swarming with reporters and photographers the next morning, as was the stage door to the theater. Both men simply ignored the shouted questions and headed to the car, or to the door, without even looking at the masses of people.

Once inside the theater, Kurt chuckled. "Well, that was interesting."

"It's going to be pretty crazy for a while," Puck said apologetically as they entered Kurt's dressing room. "And Jack's got me booked for a remote interview with Ellen Degeneres on Monday afternoon since we don't have a performance that day."

"You want me to go with you?" Kurt asked.

Puck looked at Kurt steadily. "Only if you're ready to deal with the fall out."

Kurt paused. "I should talk to my Dad first." Puck's eyes widened and Kurt chuckled at his lover's discomfiture. "You forgot to warn your mom about the news, didn't you?"

"Um, yeah," Puck said. Just then his cell phone rang and Puck groaned when he saw the caller ID. "Hey Ma," Puck said warily. "I know… I know… I'm sorry… I was going to call you today… No really! I was!... Yeah… No, he's right here." He held the phone out to Kurt whose eyes widened and they proceeded to wage a silent war until Kurt finally took the phone.

"Hello Mrs. Puckerman," Kurt said cautiously. "Yes… Yes he did… We were just discussing that… Well, I need to talk to my father… Yes, he was very inconsiderate. I will be sure to remind him of that later… Yes, I will… Thank you, that means a lot to me…. The show has a short break for the holiday… Yes, I'll make sure he comes home. My father would be very hurt if I missed… It was lovely speaking with you, too."

Kurt handed the phone back to Puck with a smug smile. Puck swallowed hard and put the phone to his ear. "Yeah Ma… Yeah… I will… Did the monthly transfer go through to the bank okay? Good… I love you too…"

Puck turned to Kurt. "You're bringing me home for the holidays?"

Kurt blushed. "Well…"

Puck leaned down and kissed Kurt's embarrassment away. "We can get the official meeting the parents out of the way."

"We both already know each other's parents," Kurt said with a smile.

"True," Puck said. "I know your dad doesn't actually hate me anymore, but I'm pretty sure he still has to stop himself from growling at me. You think he's going to be alright about this?"

Kurt chuckled at Puck's obvious fear of his father, even after all these years. "He likes you Noah. I promise. When they were all here for the opening, he told me that he approved. I just need to let him know for sure before we announce anything to the world."

"I guess I have to take your word for it," Puck sighed. "Being a badass rock star should save me from these kinds of situations, shouldn't it?"

Kurt just laughed and shoved Puck towards the dressing room door. "Go get ready. I have to get dressed and do my makeup."

**PKPKPKPKPK**

The call to Burt Hummel went just as Kurt had predicted. And when Kurt handed the phone to a protesting Puck, Burt had actually asked him what had taken him so long to pull his head out of his ass. So when Monday came, Kurt was dressed to the nines and waiting with Puck while Ellen did her thing in LA. The plan was for Puck to do most of the interview alone, but when Ellen asked about his relationship, Puck would introduce Kurt. But not even Ellen knew the plan.

They were filming the segment from the stage of the theater and Puck was sitting on one of the sofa's from the Hotel set. Kurt stood off in the wings for Puck to call him over. Through the monitor, Kurt chuckled quietly when he saw that Ellen had placed a TV on the sofa where she would normally interview guests.

"Well, our first guest is such a busy guy that he couldn't actually make it to LA," Ellen told the audience. "So we sent a camera crew to him at the Marquis Theater in New York." Many of the people in the audience recognized the name of the theater from the news, and a buzz went through the crowd. The monitor on her sofa flickered on and there was Puck, smirking at Ellen, and a cheer went through the audience. "Puck, I'm so glad you agreed to speak with me. How's New York?"

"A lot colder than LA," Puck said. "I grew up in the Midwest, so I know about winter, but this is the first one I've experienced firsthand in seven years."

Ellen chuckled. "And it's not even really winter yet. You've been stirring up a bit of news since your defection to the east coast."

"You know me, Ellen, I'm always up for stirring up things," Puck said. "Can't let things get too boring."

Ellen smiled at that; she had interviewed Puck a few times but she had also spent so time with him in social settings and knew that to be the absolute truth. "Nothing is ever boring when you're around. But this fall seems to have been especially tempestuous. First the altercation between you and Jeffery March, then the move to New York. And most recently your interview with Out Magazine."

Puck smirked. "Yeah, everyone wants to know about that last one."

"You said that you chose to come out now because of something a friend said," Ellen said. "Would that friend happen to be your costar in Victor/Victoria, Kurt Hummel?"

"Kurt is a very good friend and I trust his advice," Puck said. "So when he explained that I was sending the wrong message to my fans I listened."

"Kurt is very active in the New York gay community, isn't he?" Ellen asked.

"Yes, in fact, he's on the board of Broadway Cares /Equity Fights AIDS," Puck said. "And he supports several charities that help teens come to grips with their sexuality and find support."

"It sounds like you admire Kurt," Ellen said. Like every other interviewer, she knew that Puck had a tendency to clam up when asked questions about his love life.

"I admire him quite a bit," Puck said and then gave Ellen his famous smirk. "Go ahead, Ellen. I know You're dying to ask."

Ellen laughed, but inside she was doing a happy dance. Puck was going to answer the question. "So what exactly is your relationship with Kurt Hummel?"

"I'll tell you what, I'll let Kurt tell you," Puck said and he waved over to Kurt. The producer had the cameraman widen the shot to show Kurt walking over to the sofa. One of the sound guys quickly fit him with a mic and then he took a seat next to Puck.

"Kurt," Ellen said. "It's a pleasure to have you on the show. I've been a fan of your work for a while now."

"Thank you," Kurt said rather primly, his nervousness coming across as aloofness. "I have long been a fan of yours as well."

"You gonna answer her question, babe?" Puck asked Kurt.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I do believe you just did that, _**babe**_."

Ellen laughed. "You are very sweet together. How long have you been together?"

"Since I read the advance copy of Out," Kurt said.

"Oh yeah, he was really pis– mad at me for that," Puck said. "I didn't tell him I was giving the interview."

"How did him being angry translate into getting together?" Ellen asked.

"Well, I asked him if he was mad 'cause he expected me to kiss someone in public instead," Puck shrugged. "He blushed and I knew he had thought that, so I kissed him."

"It wasn't in public, and it wasn't as a means of coming out, but it was rather romantic," Kurt said and smiled up at Puck.

"You've known each other for quite a while, haven't you?" Ellen asked.

"Since high school," Puck agreed. "We were in glee club together."

"So you were friends even then?"

Kurt snorted with amusement. "Hardly. Puck was a bit of a bully. He was on the football team, a self-proclaimed sex shark and badass. I was…"

"Prissy and more concerned with your clothes and hair than any girl I had ever met," Puck said with a teasing smile.

"Yes, well, be that as it may," Kurt said with a frown. "We were very much on opposite ends of the social ladder until Puck joined the glee club."

"Then we became friends," Puck said. "Sort of. I mean, his dad married my best friend's mom so we saw each other like all the time, but…"

"We were teens and a lot less tolerant of each other's differences than we are now," Kurt supplied. "We learned to get along because we had to, but we were never best friends."

"I had a bit of a crush back then," Puck admitted.

"You did not," Kurt denied, turning to face Puck instead of the camera.

"Yes I did," Puck insisted. "But by the time I figured out that it was okay to like boys and girls both, you were with that Blaine dude and…" He shrugged.

"And then we went in opposite directions…" Kurt said a little sadly. Then he smiled. "But we found each other again."

Puck turned back to Ellen. "I didn't even know Kurt was in the show before the first day of rehearsals. So when Kurt waltzed into my dressing room like he owned the place, I knew my favorite diva hadn't changed much."

Ellen laughed. "Congratulations guys. We have to take a commercial break, but you'll stick around, won't you? I think I heard the producer say something about singing a song for us?"

"Yeah, Kurt and I are gonna sing 'Almost a Love Song' form the show," Puck said.

"Fantastic!" Ellen said and then she was talking about the other stuff coming up on the show and then they were in commercial.

Kurt turned to Puck and kissed him deeply, ignoring the camera crew around them. "You had a crush on me?"

"Yeah, when I got back from juvie," Puck said. "But like I said, I didn't have the balls to do anything about it then. And then you left for that preppie school and when you came back, you had Blaine."

Kurt laughed. "I had a crush on you then too. You were gone at juvie for a few weeks and I really missed you. But I thought it was just a pointless as my crush on Finn had been, if not more so."

"Well, we have each other now," Puck said.

They didn't have time to say anything else because the producer wanted them to get into position for their duet. They had decided to do it as if it was part of the show, which was why they were in the hotel set. They quickly changed into their robes and sat on the bed in one of the two hotel rooms. When Ellen introduced them, they began with a little bit of dialogue and then went into the song.

Kurt: (spoken) So, what do we do? Puck: (spoken) You want me to be honest? Kurt (spoken): Always! Puck (spoken): I could never live with you this way.

Kurt (spoken): Because you are frightened that people will think that you're in love with a man? Puck (spoken): Right! Kurt (spoken): So we have a problem... Puck (spoken): I guess we have!

Kurt: _What we have here is almost a love song. I'm perfect for you , you're perfect for me. Everything they sing about we have in profusion; The same sense of humor, a romance more than mere illusion._ Puck: _So why are we almost a love song?_ _Why aren't we the song of the year? Does the moment go by?_ Kurt: _Are we frightened to try?_ Puck: _If we are, more's the pity_ , Kurt: _For the idea seems too pretty...to be almost a love song._ Puck: _You owe me a love song._ Both: _So where is my love song, my dear?_

Kurt (spoken): Seriously, maybe it's for the best, sooner or later I'd probably ask you to stop being a gangster, because I was worried about everybody thinking that I was your moll. Puck (spoken): I'm not a gangster, I'm a businessman! Kurt (spoken): A businessman doing business with gangsters claiming he's not a gangster; sounds a lot like the kind of act I do! I think we're both pretenders and I guess this is not a really good basis for a relationship, but it was fun while it lasted... [Kurt goes to the other hotel room through the connecting door, leaving Puck alone in his room.]

Puck: O _ne thing's clear here:_ Kurt: _It's clear_ Puck: _We're almost a love song._ Kurt: _We're almost a love song._ Puck: _She's so good for me,_ Kurt: _I'm no good for him,_ Puck: _I'm no good for her._ Kurt: _He's so good for me...I imagined somebody..._ Puck: _I saw someone..._ Kurt: _Who'll look at things my way._ Puck: _We'll travel life's highway_. Kurt: _Whatever the weather,_ Puck: _But I wonder whether_ Both: _The two of us should be together._

Kurt: _So, why are we almost a love song,_ Puck: _Are we a love song?_ Kurt: _Instead of the song of the year?_ Puck: _Not a good one, I fear ... Will the moment go by?_ Kurt: _Will I lose him? Are we frightened to try?_ Puck: _Mustn't lose her...if I do..._ Kurt: _If I am..._ Both: _Then it's tragic; he and I have too much magic._ _To be almost a love song ..._ Puck: _Hell, I might as well face it._ Kurt: _You owe me a love song..._ Puck: _I could never replace it._ Kurt: _So, where is our love song, my dear?_ Puck: _Where is our love song, my dear?_

They exchanged a few more words with Ellen and then the interview was over and the camera crew was packing everything up to leave.

Kurt turned to Puck and kissed him. "Well, that's one more major revelation out of the way."

"I'm pretty sure that's the last one," Puck said. "At least for now."

"Are you happy?" Kurt wondered.

"Ecstatic," Puck said with a smirk. "I have a great career, I have a new start in a new city, I have my best friend only a few blocks away, and best of all, I have you. What more could a man want?"

"I can't imagine a thing," Kurt said with a smile.


	7. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_Three years later_

Puck peeked through the curtains and looked over the crowded arena. It was a full house, completely sold out. That made Puck smile. This concert was a benefit for the LGBT Youth Alliance, one of Kurt's pet charities, and every penny they made from the event would be used to help kids face some pretty harsh realities. As bad as things were for Kurt when they were kids, things were ten times worse for a lot of gay teens. Education, awareness, support… those were the things that were going to make a difference to those kids.

This was actually the last show on his latest concert tour. After finishing _Victor/Victoria_ , Puck had gone right into the studio and started on a new album. The songs were a lot more personal this time than on any of his previous albums and the critics seemed to think that it made the music better. The fans certainly seemed to like the album. He'd had at least one single on the itunes top ten list for more than a year, often there was more than one. And the tour had been a huge success too.

Touring the globe for a year had been a real issue for Puck. He hadn't wanted to leave Kurt for that long, so he kept putting off Jack until Kurt sat him down and told him that if Puck went on tour, he'd just go with him. That was one of the reasons the tour had taken a little longer to organize. They had to work around Kurt's contract with _Charlie's Side_ , the latest musical Kurt was starring in. This one had been written just for him by an up and coming composer who idolized Kurt. It was the story of a young man trying to get his foot in the door on Broadway while staying truehimself, his sexuality and the morals his parents had instilled in him. It was a huge hit and Kurt had won Tony and Drama Desk awards for his performance. But he was signed on for ten months this time, so Puck insisted that the tour couldn't start until Kurt could go with him.

Finn was on stage right then; he was Puck's opening act on the tour and his career had really begun taking off over the last year as more and more kids started downloading his songs. Puck was pretty sure that the next time Finn went on a tour, he'd be the headline act. It made for a pretty nice trip, however. With Kurt, Finn and Puck all together, they had a lot of fun checking out new places all over the world. And Finn had found the love of his life, or so he claimed.

While in Sydney Australia, the bass guitarist that played for Finn had to drop out because of a family emergency. He was replaced by Gemma, a very pretty Australian girl a couple years younger than them. She had blond hair streaked with blue, red and purple stripes, and a wicked sense of humor. In fact, she and Kurt were notorious for their snark sessions where they made fun of each other and tried to see who could be the bitchiest. Then they would laugh uproariously. Finn and Puck didn't understand it, but they were glad the two liked each other.

"Looks like a good crowd," Kurt said as he peeked over Puck's shoulder.

Puck let the curtain drop and turned to face Kurt. "Why did we schedule this concert last?"

"Because you wanted it to be in Columbus," Kurt said. "And this was the only time we could get the arena that fit in the schedule."

"Oh," Puck said. "Just wondering. We're going to Lima after this, right?"

"Yeah," Kurt said. "We've got the reunion this weekend and both of our families are expecting us."

"Cool," Puck said. He was always nervous before a show, but Puck was especially nervous that day. "You think Finn's almost done?"

"According to his set list, this is the last song," Kurt said. "Why?"

"No reason," Puck said. "They have any water around here?"

Kurt rolled his eyes and went to the ice chest filled with water bottles that was only three feet from Puck. He grabbed a bottle and handed it over. "What is with you, Noah? I haven't seen you this nervous since opening night of _Victor/Victoria_."

Puck was saved from having to answer because Finn had just walked off stage and came over to talk to them. It was only minutes after that when the stage manager told Puck that they were ready to start whenever he was. Puck gave him the nod and the band filed out onto the stage. Out in the arena, the crowd was chanting Puck's name and he gave his lover a brief kiss before nodding to the stage manager. The arena went completely black and then the music started. A deep bass line followed by the drum beat, then the keyboards started in. Finally, the lights flashed on and there was Puck, adding the lead guitar on one of the most popular songs from his last album. The crowd went absolutely wild.

Kurt stood in the wings and watched his lover perform. He was like nothing else when he was on stage. He was filled with life and energy and a charisma that drew people to him in ways that just couldn't translate fully over the airways.

Kurt knew Puck's set list by heart after a year of touring with him, so when he paused to speak to the audience after the sixth song, Kurt was surprised. Usually he went straight from that number into the next.

"You see, I've been on the road for about a year now," Puck was saying. "And I'm kinda happy to be home, in Ohio. But the thing that I've learned this last year is that home isn't really a place. Home is a person, or sometimes people. It's your family, or your lover, or your best friend. Home is where you are loved and where you love in return. So I've been really lucky this year and I was able to take my home with me. Finn, the guy who played before, is my best friend and has been since we were in gradeschool together. And you all know Kurt, right?" There were cheers from the crowd and Kurt chuckled.

He stopped laughing when he heard the next thing Puck said. "Kurt, can you come out here for a minute?" From the wings, Kurt sent Puck his fiercest glare, but he knew that the lights would make it difficult for Puck to see. The crowd began to chant Kurt's name when he didn't appear right away.

"You should go," Finn said from Kurt's side.

"I don't want to," Kurt said peevishly.

"Okay," Finn said. He came around in front of Kurt and before the smaller man could protest, Finn had lifted him over his shoulder and was carrying him on stage with his ass in the air. Kurt was swearing and beating on Finn's back the entire way. "Dude, stop. That hurts."

"Put me down!" Kurt yelled. And finally Finn did. Right in the middle of the stage, right in front of Puck, and 30,000 other people. "Noah Puckerman, you are a dead man. I didn't even get to fix my hair or pick out an appropriate outfit! You know the rules; I do not appear in public without warning!"

Puck laughed and Kurt realized that his words were being amplified so the entire arena could hear him. "Hey babe."

"Don't hey babe me," Kurt pouted.

Puck knew there was only one way to make Kurt forget to be mad, so he leaned forward and captured Kurt's lips in a heated kiss. It took a few seconds for Kurt to respond, but before long he was an eager participant. The noise from the crowd was deafening. Kurt blinked up at Puck with a sappy grin on his face when the badass rock star let him go.

"Yeah, so there was reason I wanted you to come out here," Puck said.

Kurt smiled wryly at his lover, knowing he had been played, but not really caring all that much. "What would that reason be?"

Puck got down on one knee and Kurt just blinked at him in shock. "Kurt Hummel, you are my life and my love. You are my home, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to see your face first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. I want to sing silly duets with you when no one else is around. I want to make you as happy as you have made me for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?"

Kurt blinked at Puck again as he held out a jewelers box with two identical platinum bands with a huge diamond embedded in each. One for each of them, Kurt supposed. And then it hit him what Puck was really asking. "Holy shit!"

And the arena, which had been holding its collective breath in anticipation let out a laugh at that response.

"Is that a yes or no, babe?" Puck prompted with a smirk.

Kurt huffed. "You know it's a yes, you jackass." And then he laughed along with Puck who was rising up from his knees to hug and kiss Kurt again.

"Sing with me babe," Puck said once they were both back down to earth.

"What do you want to sing?" Kurt asked.

"How about 'It's Your Love'?" Puck asked. He knew it was one of Kurt's favorite duets for them to sing, so it was a safe choice, but it was also a really great love song. Kurt agreed and took the mic from the sound guy. And they started to sing to each other. It wasn't the type of song that Puck would normally sing, but the circumstances made him think that it would be okay. And the crowd seemed to enjoy it. By the time they reached the final chorus, Puck was lost in Kurt's eyes and it was like the arena of people had disappeared.

_It's your love It just does something to me It sends a shock right through me I can't get enough And if you wonder About the spell I'm under Oh it's your love_

The last notes of the song died out and Puck took one of the rings and put it on Kurt's finger. "I love you."

Kurt took the other ring and put it on Puck's finger. "I love you too."

**The End**


End file.
